Lost and Found
by chocolatequeen
Summary: A forever together stretched out before the Doctor and Rose, but it was cut short when Rose was taken by Torchwood. When their telepathic bond breaks, the Doctor assumes the worst... until one day weeks later when familiar handwriting appears on his arm. Could his soulmate still be alive? Canon 'verse soulmates AU, plus telepathic bond.


**AN:** This was co-written with HiddenTreasures. It's outlined to be three chapters long.

Rose smiled at the Doctor as he helped her jump out of the haycart. "Why thank you, Sir Doctor," she drawled, hoping to tease a smile from her soulmate. He'd been quiet ever since they'd left Torchwood House, and she couldn't make sense of the emotions he was projecting over their bond.

He smiled briefly, then waved at the driver. "Cheers, Dougal!" he called out. Then he clasped her hand tightly in his and led the way up the hill.

Their pace was too fast to encourage conversation, so instead, Rose shifted closer to the Doctor and placed her free hand on his arm, just above his wrist. If she could peel back all his layers, she knew she'd see her handwriting there, with the simple, _Love you xo,_ she'd written the day before.

She traced the words over the top of his coat, and the Doctor stopped and pulled her close. "What's wrong, love?" she whispered.

He sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Let's go home first," he requested. "I just… I'd really like to sit in our chair and hold you. Please?"

Rose stepped back and straightened his tie. "Of course."

It only took them a few minutes to climb the remaining distance to the TARDIS and send the ship into the Vortex. After a brief deliberation, they agreed to shower before going to the library, but finally, they were clean, in fresh clothes, and curled up together in the oversized armchair that was the perfect size for cuddling.

They sat together for several long moments, just enjoying the closeness. Then Rose tilted her head back so she could see the Doctor's face. "Are you ready to tell me what's bothering you?" He flinched, and she stroked his cheek. "I want to help, love, but I can't unless you tell me what's wrong."

"Last night…" He took a deep breath. "I could feel how terrified you were last night, Rose. You begged me to come rescue you, but I didn't know where you were or how to find you." He laughed mirthlessly and rubbed his hand over his face. "I might have given the monks a taste of the Oncoming Storm when I demanded to know where you were. But oh, god, Rose! If I'd been even just a minute later…"

Rose shivered; she'd been trying not to think about that possibility, which probably explained why she hadn't realised right away what was bothering the Doctor. She pulled him close, encouraging him to shift so his head was resting on her shoulder.

 _I'm sorry, Doctor,_ she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair and massaged away the knot at the base of his neck. The telepathic conversation calmed him as well. _But you know, even when I was staring down that werewolf thing, I knew you would come for me. You always do._

He huffed something that sounded like disagreement, and she tugged lightly on his hair so he would look at her. "Hey. Yes, you do," she insisted. "Starting with the day you found me in that basement, even though you didn't know I was your soulmate until you took my hand."

The Doctor reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. The cool metal of his ring pressed into Rose's hand and she pulled his hand up so she could kiss it.

She could tell he wasn't quite convinced, however, so she continued. "Even when I was on that Dalek ship, you found a way to come get me. You _always_ come for me."

The Doctor shifted a little bit, then reached up and brushed a strand of hair back over her ear. "And then you came for me," he reminded her.

Rose smiled. "That's right. Because I wasn't about ready to let those oversized pepperpots get in the way of our forever."

Finally, she felt his anxiety ease. "Sorry, love," he mumbled into her hair. "I know I'm brooding, but I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Rose leaned down and kissed him gently. "Well, you'll never have to find out," she whispered against his lips.

oOoOo

Waking up the next morning with Rose in his arms did more to soothe what remained of the Doctor's fear than anything else could have. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then slipped out of bed. He chuckled when she immediately scooted over to his side of the bed and cuddled into his pillow.

In the galley, he went to work making a fry-up for breakfast. As soon as it was sizzling on the stove, he grabbed a pen and wrote his usual good morning message for Rose to find when she woke up.

 _Good morning, love! One more day of forever with you._

Over the bond, he could feel the way the tickling sensation of his message appearing on her arm woke her up. He started the kettle and had tea ready five minutes later when she crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Mmmm, smells delicious," she mumbled, her voice still sounding sleepy.

The Doctor turned and wrapped his own arms around her, pulling her close. "And it'll be ready in two minutes, which means I have just enough time to do this," he said, dipping his head down and pressing his lips to hers. Slow, languorous good morning kisses were among his favourites, and he was determined to start every day like this.

Rose sighed against his mouth and parted her lips, and he deepened the kiss for just a moment before the timer in the back of his mind reminded him that he needed to finish breakfast. He pulled back slowly, tugging her lip with him, then releasing it with a pop. She blinked up at him, and he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.

"Have a seat, and I'll bring breakfast to you."

She nodded and carried the two matching mugs to the table.

The Doctor served up two heaping plates and carried them to the table, setting one down in front of Rose then taking his own chair across from her. "What would you like to do today?" he asked as he slathered jam over his toast.

He felt the unique combination of hesitation and wistfulness she always projected when she was about to suggest something she knew wouldn't thrill him. When he looked up, she had her hands wrapped around her mug and her lip caught between her teeth.

"Hmmm… Why do I think we're going to visit the Powell Estate today?" he teased.

His teasing made her hopeful, but she asked anyway. "Is that all right? It's been more than a month since Christmas."

He smiled. "Of course it's all right. We can go as soon as we're done eating breakfast."

Rose shook her head and smirked at him. "Maybe we should get dressed first," she suggested.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "All right, if you want to be picky…"

The banter continued as they ate their breakfast, and Rose was happy his gloomy mood from the day before seemed to be gone. It had taken months when she first travelled with him to get him past his fear of having a human soulmate-"You're gonna die, Rose, and leave me all alone!"-and she really didn't want those fears to creep back into their relationship.

 _Plus,_ she thought later as she got dressed, _we actually have a chance at forever now._

The day after Christmas, the Doctor had insisted on running extensive scans to make sure Bad Wolf hadn't had any lingering effects on her. To their surprise, there _were_ side effects, but not of the sort he was afraid of. Her body seemed to be changing, becoming more durable and resilient. It was too early to tell yet what it meant, but the Doctor's voice had trembled with excitement as he told her that if the changes were allowed to progress, it was possible her lifespan would be extended significantly.

Rose took one last look at her reflection and nodded in satisfaction. She'd chosen her black trousers and blue cardigan purposely. Despite the fact that she'd left home almost a year and a half ago and had been bonded to her soulmate for close to a year, her mum still didn't seem able to see her as an adult. But maybe if she looked like an adult...

 _I've got the coordinates set, Rose, whenever you're ready._

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. _On my way, Doctor._

A moment later, she felt the ship leave the Vortex. They landed just as she reached the console room, and she held onto the railing to keep from falling.

The Doctor grinned up at her, then jogged up the ramp and pushed the door open. "Come on, let's go see how Jackie is doing."

Rose laughed and joined him outside, blinking up into the pale winter sun. "I forgot it was February," she said, shivering and rubbing vigorously at her arms.

"Do you want to get your coat?" the Doctor offered.

Rose shook her head. "Nah, it's only a short walk inside." She took his hand and they started for Bucknall House.

But as they reached the edge of the playground, she remembered something else. "Oh, bugger," she muttered. "I had a gift for Mum-that weather predictor thingy?" she reminded the Doctor when he looked at her blankly.

"Oh, right! Bazoolium!"

Rose sighed. "You go on ahead," she told him. "I'll run back and get it and meet you in the flat."

The Doctor smiled, then bent down to kiss her quickly. "All right, but don't leave me alone with your mum for too long."

Rose rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Oh, you love her and you know it."

The Doctor walked backwards a few steps, waving goodbye. _I love_ _ **you.**_

He continued onwards, meandering slowly into Bucknall House and up the stairs, dawdling to keep from being alone with Jackie longer than necessary. But inevitably, he arrived at flat number forty-eight, and he raised his hand to rap his knuckles against the door.

He heard shuffling behind the door just moments before it swung open. Jackie appraised him for a minute, running her eye up and down him, before she asked, "Where's Rose, then?"

"Hello to you too, Jackie," the Doctor said drily, stepping past his mother-in-law and into the flat. "She's on her way. Just forgot something in the TARDIS."

The Doctor made his way to the kitchen to start the kettle for tea, knowing Rose would be chilled when she finally made it up to the flat.

"Want one?" he asked Jackie as he opened the cupboard for mugs.

He had already pulled down the mugs he and Rose always used when they visited, and at Jackie's nod, he grabbed her favourite mug, too.

The kettle beeped and Rose still wasn't there.

 _I thought I said to not leave me alone with your mum for too long,_ he teased, fixing up her tea just as she liked it.

 _I had a bit of trouble finding the Bazoolium,_ she answered. _We really ought to do a bit of tidying when we get home. Anyway, got it now. I'll see you in a minute. Can you make me a cuppa?_

 _Already waiting for you_.

"Still completely wrapped up in each other, I see?"

Jackie's voice sounded right behind him, causing the Doctor to jump and splatter a bit of milk on the counter.

"Would you prefer me to be indifferent to my wife?" he asked, sniffing.

Despite her long-suffering sigh, the Doctor could see the fondness in the smile Jackie was trying to suppress.

The Doctor scooped up his and Rose's cups of tea to bring to the living room, but before he could take a step, a swell of fear crossed the bond, followed immediately by silence. The mugs slipped from his numb fingers, and they crashed to the floor in a spray of ceramic and hot tea.

He was vaguely aware that Jackie was yelling at him about the mess he'd made, but the Doctor paid no mind to her, not when there was a terrifying silence from his bondmate. He turned and sprinted out of the flat, desperate to get to Rose and find out what had happened to her.

 _Rose?_ he asked, frantically prodding at her side of the bond as he raced down the stairs, nearly leaping from landing to landing. _Rose! What's happened? Talk to me, love, please!_

But still there was nothing, and the Doctor pumped his arms and legs harder and faster as he flew across the playground and back to where he'd parked the TARDIS. The street was empty, except for their ship. It was a thoroughly ordinary day, except it wasn't, because Rose wasn't there. Her half of the bond was eerily quiet, like she was asleep, but the Doctor knew she wasn't asleep.

"Rose!" he screamed, surveying the street. "Rose!"

He continued shouting her name as he tried to wake her up across their bond, but she remained resolutely unaware of him.

His foot knocked into something, and he glanced down at the little golden weather divinator. The sight made a lump well up in his throat. This was what Rose had gone back for. This was what had caused her to be alone and vulnerable to an attack. He picked it up and cradled it delicately in his palms, and the metal was warm against his hands as the sun shone brightly overhead despite the February chill.

The rapid patter of running feet caught his attention, and he looked up, hoping to see Rose, but it was just Jackie.

"What's going on? What happened?" she asked breathlessly. "Where's Rose gone?"

"I don't know," he said helplessly, running his thumb across the Bazoolium.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Jackie asked harshly.

The Doctor raked his hands through his hair as he whirled around wildly, scanning their surroundings as he foolishly hoped Rose would reappear in his mind and walk out of the bushes.

"Where's Rose?" Jackie repeated, her voice going high with impending hysteria. "Where is she?"

"I don't know!" the Doctor exploded. "I don't know where she is! She's gone! She must have been taken!"

"Taken? By who?"

"I don't know," the Doctor growled again, hating those words.

"Well, don't just stand there! Find her!"

 _Find her._

The words prodded the Doctor out of his shock-induced inertia. He nodded once. "Find her. Yes. Right." He spun around to the TARDIS and unlocked the door.

To his surprise, Jackie followed him inside. "Jackie… no, no, you need to go back to the flat," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her gently towards the door.

But of course, you couldn't _gently_ direct a Prentice woman to do anything she didn't want to do. Jackie dug in her heels and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not going anywhere until you find my daughter!"

The Doctor opened his mouth to shout at her, then an image of Rose's disapproving frown flashed through his mind. He swallowed back the angry words and counted to ten.

Then he took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. "Jackie, I need to be able to concentrate if I'm going to find Rose," he said, keeping his voice as even as possible. "And I know you'll say you won't distract me, but do you really think our habit of picking at each other wouldn't be distracting?"

Tears welled up in Jackie's blue eyes, and the Doctor felt a stab of panic at the idea of comforting his mother-in-law. Then she blinked a few times and nodded at him.

"But you listen to me, Doctor," she said, poking her finger at his chest. "I expect you to tell me as soon as you find her. And if you have to take off to go get her, you let me know first! I don't want to look out my window and realise the both of you are gone."

The Doctor sighed in relief. "Agreed. Now please, let me get to work!"

Jackie turned to leave, then surprised him by whirling back around and giving him a fierce hug. "You'll find her, Doctor. I know you will," she whispered before leaving the ship and slamming the door behind her.

The Doctor rested his palms on the doors to the TARDIS. Just a few minutes ago, Rose had been standing right there, thinking she was off to have tea with her mum.

He finally became aware of his ship's low, apologetic hum.

"Why didn't you lock the doors?" he growled to his ship. "Eh? You had to know what was waiting for her outside! Why didn't you keep her safe?!"

He moved himself from the doorway and to the console, where he angrily pulled up the TARDIS' CCTV feed, and his hearts leapt into his throat when he saw his soulmate wandering out of the TARDIS, utterly carefree. She tugged the doors closed behind her, and tossed up the Bazoolium and caught it again in her palm.

From out of the camera's periphery came a large, human-looking male dressed in a military-esque uniform. The Doctor growled as the man's arms wrapped around Rose, and he stuck a syringe in her neck. She went limp in his arms, then in a flash of light, they were gone. Teleported away.

"No, no, no," he begged, rewinding the tape to watch it again. It was just as painful the second time around to watch Rose leave their home with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step, and then to get knocked unconscious mere seconds later.

Three seconds, actually. Three seconds were all it had taken for the Doctor's world to completely collapse around him, and he watched again as Rose and her captor teleported away.

 _Not human, then_. He added that to the list of things he knew about Rose's abductors. Humans didn't have teleportation technology. A hard knot lodged itself in his stomach. Non-human kidnappers. They could have taken her anywhere—literally, anywhere—and he had no idea how to track her down.

Again and again he watched the CCTV, hoping to find a clue to help identify the species that had taken Rose, or, more importantly, to figure out where they might have taken her. But there was nothing. Her captor look human, but that didn't mean they weren't using some sort of cloaking device to make them appear human. There were no markings or logos on the man's uniform, either. There was absolutely nothing that could help him.

Well, there was something…

The Doctor moved across the console to pilot the TARDIS back to when Rose was taken. He wouldn't fail her this time.

However, he found the piloting controls were locked. "Stop that!" he growled at his ship. "I need to get to Rose."

But the ship remained resolutely grounded, and the Doctor slammed his hands down on the console in anger and helplessness.

He should've been there with Rose. He should've gone back to the TARDIS with her. He should have stopped her from being taken.

The Doctor yanked painfully on his hair as he sank onto the jump seat and allowed himself to succumb to his terror and his grief until Rose returned in his mind and could help him find her and bring her home.

oOoOo

Rose awoke slowly and groggily. A dull ache seemed to throb throughout her body and her head felt stuffed with cotton, not unlike waking up with a hangover.

 _Rose!_

She winced as the Doctor shouted in her head. His fear pulsed across their bond, making her temples pound more than they already were.

 _Rose, where are you? Are you all right? What happened? Are you all right?_

 _I'm fine,_ she answered, and when she moved to sit up and take stock of her surroundings, she found her wrists and ankles were tethered to a bed.

 _Well,_ she amended, _I seem to be strapped to a bed._

Anger was added to his fear, and the bombardment of unchecked emotion was beginning to make her nauseous. He must have sensed it, because he shot her a quick apology before he forced his emotions to the side in favor of comforting her.

She reached through their bond and pulled him into a mental embrace as well, offering the comfort she knew he needed.

 _I've been so scared, Rose_ , he admitted, and she sighed when an echo of a kiss was passed across their bond.

 _How long have I been out?_

 _Just over an hour_ , he said. _Do you know where you are?_

Rose looked around. She was in what resembled a hospital room. It smelled like antiseptic and there were many different machines and instruments, not unlike those in the TARDIS med bay. Rose frowned. Almost everything in the TARDIS' med bay was of alien origin…

Her heart sank.

 _What? What is it?_

 _I don't think I'm on Earth,_ Rose sighed, focusing to send him everything she was seeing.

 _No, I hadn't thought so either. Whoever took you teleported away with you._

 _How'd you know that?_

 _I saw it on the TARDIS' CCTV,_ he admitted, and Rose could feel his agony and helplessness resurfacing.

 _I'm sorry you had to watch that, Doctor,_ she murmured, cradling his mind close to hers. _It'll be all right. We'll figure this out. You'll find a way to bring me home._

Rose was abruptly pulled out of her conversation with her husband when the door banged open. In walked a middle-aged blonde woman dressed smartly in a black blazer and a black skirt with the air of authority exuding off of her. Rose immediately went on the defense, and she felt the Doctor's anger reappear.

"Who are you?" Rose demanded, pleased that her voice remained steady. "What do you want with me. I'll have you know, I've got people looking for me, and when they find you…"

"The Doctor, you mean?" the woman prompted.

Rose stopped short.

"How do you know about the Doctor?" she asked.

The woman rolled her eyes. "The Doctor is the reason you're here. We've been watching you, Rose Tyler. We've been watching you for awhile now, ever since you began traveling with the Doctor."

"What for?" Rose asked, feeling a little ill at the idea that someone had been stalking her and the Doctor.

"Because you're not human anymore," the woman answered. "Not really."

A cold knot lodged itself in Rose's gut.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rose whispered, but that sounded unconvincing even to her own ears.

The woman seemed to agree, and she smirked as she walked up to a computer at Rose's bedside. She began clacking away at the keyboard, and meanwhile Rose fidgeted against her restraints.

"D'you mind letting me up," she asked, tugging at her wrists.

"I'm afraid not," the woman said. "We know you're the Doctor's soulmate and we really can't have you writing to him and telling him all about us."

Confusion swelled through Rose. It sounded like this woman didn't know she and the Doctor shared a telepathic bond…

 _What? What is it? What'd she say?_

 _Shh_ , Rose chastised, and she turned her attention back to the woman while trying to ignore the Doctor's impatience.

"This is why you're here."

Rose looked over at the computer and saw data similar to her medical file on the TARDIS.

"We've been scanning you since you've begun travelling with the Doctor," the woman said before Rose could ask. "We've kept an eye on all of his companions, actually, and we've finally got our proof."

"Proof of what?" Rose asked.

"That the Doctor has been experimenting on his human companions," the woman said matter-of-factly. "You were completely human until you began travelling with the Doctor. More specifically, until Christmastime."

Rose blinked, then couldn't help but bark out a laugh.

"You can't be serious," she said, her voice flat.

"Dead serious."

"The Doctor wouldn't… he would _never_ …" Rose spluttered for a moment in defense of her husband, before she challenged, "Why would the Doctor experiment on his friends?"

The woman shrugged. "Does it matter? You are proof enough that the Doctor is dangerous, and a threat to humankind." She gestured to the computer screen. "Your physiology has changed, Rose. Sometime between last spring and now, your body has been augmented in a way that, to be blunt, is not possible with Earth technology. The Doctor has meddled with your DNA, changing the very building blocks of what it means to be human. That is inexcusable… but as long as the deed is done, we plan to study you to learn exactly what he did."

The pit of dread hardened in her stomach the longer this woman talked. Who was she? How did she know so much? How did she have the technology to be able to detect the changes to her physiology? Why did this lady even care that her physiology had changed?

By the time the woman left, the Doctor's impatience echoed in Rose's mind. Now that they were alone, she told him everything the woman had said, hoping that he would have some kind of insight into why an alien organisation would care about the changes in her physiology.

 _Have you ever heard of anything like this, Doctor?_

 _An intergalactic association that objects to the augmentation of human physiology? No, never. I mean… maybe the Shadow Proclamation? But teleporting you away like that isn't really their style. But believe me, they will be the first place I go to. Because I promise you, Rose, I will find you. I will._

 _I know you will,_ she soothed, sending a caress over the bond before she tuned back in to her surroundings when the door opened.

The woman was back, but this time she was accompanied by a humanoid male in a pristine white lab coat.

"A detailed full-body scan to begin with, I think," the woman instructed. "I want to see exactly what we're up against."

The woman left again, leaving Rose alone with this man.

She tensed her body as he approached her with a syringe, but she refused to show him fear. Instead, she closed her eyes and melted into the Doctor's ready embrace as she ignored the pinch of the needle and the odd sensation of being given an injection.

 _I'm so sorry, love,_ he whispered as the man wheeled Rose's bed into a cylindrical chamber.

 _It's not your fault,_ she said fiercely, tuning out the mechanical whirring. _None of this is your fault._

 _Were you not listening to what that woman was saying?_ he retorted. _The only reason you're there is because they think I've done something to you. If it weren't for me…_

 _Doctor, please,_ Rose begged. _Stop it. Just stop it. This isn't your fault, and I don't blame you, but I'm really exhausted and not in the mood to convince you of that right now. Please, can't we just have a cuddle and can you just tell me everything will be all right?_

His overwhelming guilt faded into the background as he infused love, comfort, and support through their bond. She sighed and relaxed into the peaceful sensations as she tried to block out her current predicament as best she could in favor of being with her bondmate.

oOoOo

Rose was thoroughly exhausted by the time the tests were finished. Any patience she may have had was long gone. She tried to sleep, but her constant state of discomfort made it almost impossible.

And on top of it all, the Doctor's increasing levels of agitation were spurring her own anxiety on. One of the downsides they had discovered in sharing a telepathic bond was the way their negative emotions fed off each other.

Rose took a deep breath, trying to get a handle on the panic she could feel building. The Doctor sensed her deteriorating mental state and made an effort to control his own anger.

 _I'm sorry,_ he told her. _I just hate knowing you're in danger and I can't do anything until my scans find you. And do you know how long it takes to scan for one human across the entire universe?_

 _Are we absolutely sure I'm not still on Earth, though?_ Rose asked. _These people look human. And they've got British accents._

 _Loads of species look human,_ the Doctor said. _And the TARDIS' translation matrices tend to translate to English in the accent you're used to hearing._

Rose huffed out a breath, and when she caught the Doctor's guilt, she sighed.

 _I'm sorry,_ she said softly. _I know you're trying your best to find me. I just… I miss you so much._

 _I miss you, too, love,_ he whispered, pressing a kiss through their bond.

Rose groaned when the doors to her prison re-opened, and in walked the still-nameless woman.

"We've discovered something rather unique during the scan of your brain," the woman said without preamble. "You're telepathic."

"Oh, well that must be how I could have a telepathic bond with my soulmate, then," Rose said scathingly. "I always wondered how that could happen."

Rose felt a sharp plea from the Doctor to be careful, but she shut him away, needing to concentrate on this woman.

"A telepathic bond," the woman repeated, looking thoughtful. "Interesting."

The woman turned on her heel, and Rose finally tuned back in to the impatience the Doctor was projecting.

 _What happened now?_ he demanded.

 _They know I'm telepathic,_ Rose answered. _And that we have a bond._

The Doctor's unease flooded through her.

 _Look, just focus on finding me, yeah?_ Rose said shortly. _I can handle these people._

 _I know you can,_ the Doctor said immediately. _But I don't like the idea that they know about our bond._

 _It'll be fine,_ Rose said through a yawn. _It's late. I'm tired. I'll talk to you later, Doctor._

 _I love you_ , he murmured, curling his mind around hers to make Rose feel like they were cuddling in bed together.

 _Love you, too,_ she whispered.

But before she could drift to sleep, the door to the lab opened again.

"Now what?" Rose growled.

The woman and the man who had performed all of Rose's earlier exams stepped into the room.

"A telepathic bond means you've been in contact with the Doctor this whole time," the woman stated.

"Yes, and he's bloody furious at you lot for taking me and keeping me locked up like a lab rat," Rose snapped. "He's looking for me, and he's going to find me, and when he does, you're going to be sorry you ever took me."

The woman ignored her, and she and the man stepped up to Rose's bedside. The man was holding a syringe filled with a clear, colorless liquid.

"Another test?" Rose asked incredulously. "Really? Can't you let me get some sleep?"

"We will," the woman said. "After this injection, we won't bother you 'til morning. Promise."

That did nothing to calm Rose's sudden anxiety.

"But in light of your telepathy, there's something special we need to do," the woman said.

"What's that stuff?" Rose asked uneasily, and she tried to calm the Doctor when he caught on to her increasing panic.

"A neuron-neutraliser," the woman replied as the orderly stuck the needle into the crease of Rose's elbow. "Telepathic species have their own type of neurons and neurotransmitters. This serum inhibits the receptors for those neurotransmitters."

Dread flooded through Rose as her arm ached with the injection of the serum, and before she could reach out to the Doctor and tell him what was happening, excruciating pain split through her skull. She thrashed on her bed, tugging wildly to free her hands so she could grab her head to try to alleviate some of the pain. It felt like someone had stabbed a long, cold piece of metal through one temple and out the other. It was pain worse than she had ever felt in her life, and she would give anything for it to go away.

It took a minute before Rose realized the Doctor wasn't trying to soothe her or ask what was wrong. In fact, the Doctor wasn't anywhere in her mind.

"No, no, no," she moaned as she frantically looked for her bondmate. She tried to concentrate through the pain to look inside her mind for their bond, but she barely got a good look at it before the pain overwhelmed her.

"What have you done?" Rose gasped, swallowing down the nausea that threatened. "Bring him back! Bring him back!"

"You will be given these injections every evening," the woman said as though Rose hadn't spoken. "Tomorrow we'll do a scan of your brain again. I'll be interested to see the effects of this serum on your brain; we've never given it to someone with a marriage bond before."

"Piss off!" Rose snarled, and she continued writhing on the bed. She arched her back and dug her head into the mattress, desperate for some relief from the endless agony.

Rose barely heard the opening and closing of the door. She wasn't aware of anything other than her broken bond with the Doctor.

She whimpered as she curled in on herself as best she could, and continued looking for her bondmate. Prodding at the raw, jagged edges of their bond sent sharper stabs of pain through Rose until she welcomed the unconsciousness that threatened.

oOoOo

The Doctor stared at the monitor on the TARDIS console and willed the ship to work faster. Being forced to stand helplessly by while Rose was subjected to a whole battery of medical exams was one of the most torturous experiences of his long life. He had scans of his own going-one tracking the teleport signal and one looking for her DNA-but searching the entire universe for one mostly-human woman was like looking for a needle in the largest haystack imaginable.

He managed to keep his agitation under control while the tests were being run, because he had a purpose. Rose had asked him to just be there for her. She was putting on a brave face, but as soon as he sensed how upset she was, he set aside his own fears and wrapped her in a telepathic embrace.

But when the medical personnel left the room, his ability to stay calm went with them. Just last night, Rose had told him that he always came for her, but what if this turned out to be the time he didn't? He'd always known he would fail her one day-what if today was that day?

After a few minutes, he felt panic licking at the edges of Rose's mind and realised his gloomy ponderings weren't helping anything.

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his tired eyes. _I'm sorry,_ he told her. _I just hate knowing you're in danger and I can't do anything until my scans find you. And do you know how long it takes to scan for one human across the entire universe?_

 _Are we absolutely sure I'm not still on Earth, though?_ Rose asked. _These people look human. And they've got British accents._

The Doctor hated to dampen her hope, but he had to be realistic. _Loads of species look human,_ he reminded her. _And the TARDIS' translation matrices tend to translate to English in the accent you're used to hearing._

That answer was obviously not what she'd been hoping for, and her impatient frustration hit him like an accusation. The Doctor closed his eyes and sank onto the jump seat. She needed him, and so far, he'd failed her.

A moment later, her aggravation eased and she brushed an apologetic touch over the bond. _I'm sorry,_ she said softly. _I know you're trying your best to find me. I just… I miss you so much._

The Doctor swallowed hard; that was one sentiment he could easily agree with. _I miss you, too, love._

He pulled her mind close and kissed her softly, but before they could settle into a telepathic embrace, the calm that had finally been washing over Rose sharpened into anger.

The Doctor stiffened; her captors must be back. He clenched his fists and rested them on his knees until he could tell Rose was alone again, then he immediately fired a question at her. _What happened now?_

 _They know I'm telepathic_. _And that we have a bond._

The Doctor pressed his lips into a thin line. He wasn't surprised the scans they'd done on Rose had picked up the neurological markers that indicated telepathy. But it was quite a leap from that fact to knowing he and Rose shared a telepathic bond.

He had a feeling he knew how they'd found out about that. Rose had been tired and frustrated when her captors had returned just as she was feeling better, and she was less careful with her words when she was tired. He could easily imagine a frustrated Rose snarking back at the woman that telepathy must be how she could have a telepathic bond.

A moment later, Rose's attitude turned defiant, and he knew he was right. It took a great deal of restraint to not voice his displeasure with that-it would have been so much better if they could have kept the bond from these people.

His mood seeped over the bond, though, and Rose replied to it immediately. _Look, just focus on finding me, yeah?_ she requested. _I can handle these people._

The Doctor raked a hand through his hair. _I know you can_. _But I don't like the idea that these people know about our bond._

 _It'll be fine,_ Rose said, her words coming slower as she started to fall asleep. _It's late. I'm tired. I'll talk to you later, Doctor._

The Doctor closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the jump seat. He took a moment to imagine exactly how it felt to hold Rose close in their bed, the big spoon to her little spoon. Then he projected that sensation to her, and a moment later, he felt phantom fingers lace through his as his imaginary hand rested on her stomach.

 _I love you_ , he told his bond mate.

She sighed and kissed his fingers. _Love you, too_.

Alone in the TARDIS, the Doctor got to his feet and wandered over to the console, intent on checking on the scans. But before he reached the monitor, Rose's sleepiness disappeared, replaced by anger. He could guess what had happened-one of her captors had returned.

A captor who knew that Rose was telepathic.

He tried to sneak closer to Rose's mind so he could eavesdrop on the conversation, but she immediately pushed him away. He scowled, but understood her reasons-it was hard to focus on what was actually going on around you if you were in the middle of a telepathic conversation.

So he pulled back and waited. Rose would tell him what had happened when the woman left.

He bared his teeth and growled. He bloody _hated_ this-hated being relegated to the sidelines while Rose engaged in verbal fencing with her captor. He could follow along with the sense of the conversation, based on Rose's fluctuating mood, but he wouldn't know exactly what had been said until Rose was alone again and could share it with him.

After a few minutes, her anxiety spiked. The Doctor froze in the mid-step, and his foot landed heavily on the grating.

 _Rose? What's wrong, love? What's going on?_

He only had to wait a few moments for the reply, but it didn't come in words. Instead, it came in the form of slicing pain cutting through his mind-pain he had experienced once before in his life when he had pushed that button and the presence of the Time Lords had left his mind in the blink of an eye.

Rose was gone.

"No!" The Doctor grabbed onto the console to keep from falling to his knees.

He could still feel where the marriage bond should be in his mind, and he prodded at the spot, hoping against hope that Rose's captors had only done something to her that _felt_ like their bond was severed.

 _Rose? Please, love. Talk to me. Tell me you're still there!_

He clenched his eyes shut and leaned hard on the console as he waited for her reply. As the seconds ticked by, the pain in his head worsened. Gasps of pain escaped his lips as tears trickled out from under his closed eyelids.

"Please," he moaned brokenly. "Please come back."

The only response was the TARDIS' mournful hum. Rose was gone. She would never come back.


End file.
